ETA: There is a more detailed article further down the page here, looks like the guy was carrying a cell phone which the officer mistook for a small handgun. The officer shot at him and luckily missed.

Man leaving building says police intentionally shot at him

A Waterloo man says a police officer shot at him intentionally as he walked out of an apartment building. Police claim the Monday incident was an accident.

Jermaine Rivera says he took a few steps out of the apartment building door when a shot rang out. The bullet from the officer’s gun passed between Rivera and his brother, Sanir Rivera, who was stepping out of the building behind him.

A few inches either way and the bullet would have hit one of them.

Police say the bullet continued across the street where it became lodged in the wall of a house. No one was injured.

Rivera says the officer, who has not been identified, apologized.

Waterloo police officials say the matter is currently under investigation. They say officers responded to a call of shots fired in the neighborhood. When officers arrived they thought they heard more gunshots.

Police say the officer who fired the shot had his weapon drawn when the discharge happened.

A Waterloo man says a police officer shot at him intentionally as he walked out of an apartment building. Police claim the Monday incident was an accident.

Jermaine Rivera says he took a few steps out of the apartment building door when a shot rang out. The bullet from the officer’s gun passed between Rivera and his brother, Sanir Rivera, who was stepping out of the building behind him.

A few inches either way and the bullet would have hit one of them.

Police say the bullet continued across the street where it became lodged in the wall of a house. No one was injured.

Rivera says the officer, who has not been identified, apologized.

Waterloo police officials say the matter is currently under investigation. They say officers responded to a call of shots fired in the neighborhood. When officers arrived they thought they heard more gunshots.

Police say the officer who fired the shot had his weapon drawn when the discharge happened.

I'd like to hear the reason the guy would think that the cop would intentionally shoot at him and the reason the cop had his weapon drawn. Hearing something in the distance that could be a gun shot isn't a reason to draw and certainly not a reason to point the pistol anywhere but at the ground. I'd like to hear the rest of this story.z

WATERLOO --- A Waterloo man says police shot at him on purpose when an officer's gun discharged Monday night.

Police maintain the shooting was an accident that happened when patrolmen responded to report of shots being fired in the area.

"I don't believe it was an accident," Jermaine Rivera said Wednesday.

Rivera, 21, said he was leaving his apartment building at 328 E. First St. and hadn't taken more than a few steps from the front door when the single gunshot rang out.

"They didn't say freeze, stop or nothing --- just shot," Rivera said.

The bullet passed between Rivera and his brother, Sanir Rivera, who was stepping out of the building behind him.

A few inches either way, and the bullet would have struck one of them, said Ed Tillman, Jermaine's father-in-law.

The bullet continued across the street where it entered 201 Mulberry St. and became lodged in a wall, police said. No one was hurt.

Rivera said he looked up to see a police officer about 15 to 20 feet away with a handgun raised. The officer apologized, Rivera said.

He said police first said they thought he had a small-caliber handgun, but a pat-down search didn't turn up any weapons.

Tillman said police first denied there was a shooting and tried telling his daughter, Rivera's wife, it was just fireworks.

Rivera said the incident happened just after he retrieved a cell phone from his apartment and was heading to Tillman's house. He had seen a squad car drive by before he left but didn't know officers were on foot near his home.

The matter is currently under investigation by police.

Rivera said he hasn't gone to the police station to give a statement but has put together a written complaint he plans to bring to the police department.

According to police, officers were sent to the area of East Mullan and Lafayette Street, about a block from Rivera's house, for a report of shots fired.

Officers who arrived heard what they thought were more gunshots.

The officer, who hasn't been identified, had his pistol drawn when the discharge happened, police said.

Originally Posted By zoom:I'd like to hear the reason the guy would think that the cop would intentionally shoot at him and the reason the cop had his weapon drawn.

because they were responding to a call of shots fired, heard what they belived to be more gunshots on arrival, and the latino gentleman was holding what the officer mistook for a firearm presumably becuase it was dark...according to the article.

Hell the military has killed french journalist and football players for less.

I agree. And in the future the police should not respond to vague claims of "shots fired>" only respond if you have a informant willing to go on record and direct the responding officer of the location of the gunmen on arrival.

People routinely call in fireworks as "shots fired" becuase they know it gets an immediate response. However when you call the guys with the guns and tell them somebody is shooting up the neighborhood, these things happen. Fire the cop and mail the informant a copy of the boy who cried wolf.